Rams make playoffs with OT win

Rams squeak out win against U of A, clinch playoff birth

Well look at that. The Rams were able to pull it off, and have secured their place in the Canada West playoffs with their 2OT-nail-biter win against the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

Because of their win, the team improves to 4-2 and currently sits second in the Canada West Division standings, with two games remaining in the season. All in all, it has been a pretty great week for the Rams coming off a bye week.

The game itself was absolutely filled with momentum swings for both sides, and was not letting up until the second overtime period. Alberta has finished off the first quarter ahead by a field goal. However, the Rams responded in dominant fashion, with a 21 to 9 second quarter. Alberta did let that sink them though, as they responded with solid 16-point and 13-point quarters in the second half, with the Rams only earning 14 points in the 3rd and a whopping 6 in the fourth.

So off to overtime the teams headed, with the Rams looking for their clinch and the Golden Bears desperate to keep their playoff hopes alive. And boy did both teams play like it in the first overtime period. Atlee Simon for the Rams ran a 7-yard pass for a touchdown, and the Bears answered right back when Ed Ilnicki ran a 5-yard run to the end zone to keep the score tied. However, in the second overtime, the Rams were finally able to get ahead with a field goal from Daniel Scraper, when the kicker scored a 26-yard field goal, securing the victory for the U of R.

And just like that, not only did the Rams make their dreams a reality, they were able to all but destroy the hopes and dreams for one of their main rivals. Yes, the team does have an extra excited step in their walk this morning.

After a close and disappointing loss against the University of Manitoba in week 4, the Rams were able to rebound considerably well, with back-to-back high scoring affairs against the Golden Bears and University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

If anything, the Rams wanted to prove that they are a team that wanted a long run at not only to win the Hardy Cup, but also make it all the way and win the Vanier Cup and be named the U SPORTS championship. While they have faced adversity in their season, the Rams are at least feeling confident with their play. If the past two games have proved anything, it’s that their offence is firing on all cylinders. If only the defence can play a little more like what it was earlier in the season, then this could really be a dangerous team, which they will need to be as the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds are their most likely opponent, who they will face in the last game of the season.